BUENOS AIRES, Oct 2 (Askume) – Thousands of Argentine students took to the streets on Wednesday to protest against deep spending cuts at public universities by President Javier Melli’s liberal government.
The protest was organized after the government threatened to veto a law passed by Congress that guaranteed funding to universities. Argentina is facing an economic crisis, with annual inflation reaching 240% and more than half the population living in poverty .
“The government has a systematic, methodical and progressive plan to destroy public education,” Ricardo Gelpi, president of the University of Buenos Aires, said in a statement.
Miley’s government has repeatedly defended the cuts, calling public universities hotbeds of “socialist” ideology, but the institutions enjoy a good reputation among Argentines.
In the wake of the protests, Miley’s office doubled down on its stance, promising to veto any proposals that “endangered fiscal balance” and contained “irresponsible” attempts to increase spending at state universities.
Gelpi said the Melly government did not care about education and that the spending cuts represented only a small portion of the country’s economic output.
Piera Fernández, president of Argentina’s FUA university federation, told the crowd that public university education was a “fight for survival,” adding that spending on education and science was an investment, not an expense.
In April, protests by thousands of students and faculty forced Miley to reconsider cuts to the higher education budget. University officials later said the administration had not implemented promised reforms.
Argentina’s Human Capital Ministry said in a statement that the government’s commitment to public universities remains “firm.”
“Public college education has never been more underfunded,” it says.
According to the University of Buenos Aires, university teachers and non-teaching staff have lost nearly 40% of their purchasing power since December, and the decline continues.
“If this law is rejected, the consequences will be very serious,” said Florència Rivero, a UBA graduate and teacher. She said it would affect salaries, research and other important activities. “So we hope that doesn’t happen.”
